THE BOTANY OF CHRISTxMAS ISLAND. 225 



tate, glabrous bright green 6 inches long by 3 inches 

 wide. Male spikes panicled terminal slender 3 or 4 

 together pubescent 2 or 3 inches long. Flowers dis- 

 tant tufts very small yellow. Calyx lobes ovate obtuse 

 4. Stamens 4 filaments very short, anthers large globose. 

 Female panicles axillary or terminal. Fruit sub-globose 

 3 lobed ^ inch long smooth. Seed sub-globose oblong 

 slightly flattened on one side smooth grey. 



Common Rocky point, Plateau, Phosphate hill. 



Distribution India, Ceylon, Penang, Java. 



Very variable in the form of its leaves which are 

 usually toothed, but a very distinct looking form along 

 the Cemetery road had all its leaves entire. 



Acalypha fallax, Muell. Arg. 



A'< Wightiana Muell. Arg. 



A common herbaceous weed about a foot tall, very 

 hispid. Leaves ovate acuminate crenulate dentate 

 hispid 1£ inch long 1 inch wide, petiole -| inch lower 

 , leaves smaller. Spikes very numerous green \-\ inch 

 long axillary. Male flowers terminal very small. Fe- 

 males enclosed in a broad toothed hairy bract. Capsule 

 hairy very little longer than the bract. 



Common in Flying Fish Cove. 



Distrib. India, Ceylon, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, 

 Java. 



This weed is common in waste ground round towns 

 etc., and is probably introduced into Christmas Island 

 accidentally by man. 



Urticaceae. 



Celtis cinnamonea, Lindl. 



A moderate sized or tall tree with very foetid old wood. 

 Leaves deciduous before flowering ovate acuminate 

 or subacute, with crenulate edges, bright green, nerves 

 3 prominent beneath pubescent, petiole and branches 



R. A. Soc, No, 45, 1905 



